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“And this began six months ago after you returned to Ravenshire Manor, or were you assisting your father before that?”

“I was unaware his health was so poor until I returned.”

“Does that mean he acted alone in all things until you returned?” he pressed. It was unpleasant, but it was an answer he needed to have.

“Yes.” She shifted uncomfortably in her chair when she answered, clearly uncomfortable. “But it was not his fault. Surely, you can now see how he is not in his right mind? He cannot be blamed for this.”

“I know you are protecting your father,” Harry reassured her steadily. “But even you must admit that he is not entirely innocent.” Mina’s mouth snapped shut. “I have not had the time nor the opportunity to fully review the breadth of the financial strain at Ravenshire, but I can tell that it has been taking place for more than one or two years.” Harry dropped down into the chair facing Mina. “What I need from you is to tell me what you know. It is clear you have been trying to take matters into your own hands, but you need not do this alone. This is my estate now, and I am responsible for its security and its longevity. I cannot pretend to be as well-versed in estate management and finances as a steward, but I am far from dull, and I take my responsibilities seriously.”

“There are…problems here at Ravenshire Manor. Many problems,” Mina began.

“I can see that.”

“But I do not believe they are entirely insurmountable.”

Harry’s brows rose. “Oh?” From what little he’d already seen, money was missing—actually, a great deal of money was missing. Proper accounts were not being kept, and, seeing it with his own eyes, it was clear the estate had struggled because of it. Lord only knew how the fields and the farms were faring if the house itself had been forced to subside on so little care and management. Tenant farmers relied upon the support of the landowner to remain successful; if the steward hadn’t been performing his duties, then there was no telling what might have happened to them, too.

“Yes,” Mina said resolutely. She straightened her spine and added, “You may own Ravenshire Manor, but I know how to save it.” Mina’s voice rang with confidence. He wanted to believe her, truly he did, but there was something in his pocket that told him that might simply not be possible.

He longed to believe her, but it was likely futile. Even with all the work it appeared she’d done, the chances were slim that Ravenshire Manor could be salvaged.

“And how is that?” he asked with more curiosity than skepticism. He would give her a chance to have her say.

For the first time since his arrival, Mina’s expression became fully unguarded. Her wide, full mouth spread in an excited smile and her fingers danced across the desk as she located the papers she required. “It has been years since rents were renegotiated,” she began. “Land that should have been leased for grazing has remained vacant. Livestock that should have been sold off has, instead, been allowed to consume valuable resources. Agreements with vendors haven’t been reassessed—and do not ask me to apologize for scorching John Butcher’s ears with my language; the man was swindling the estate for years with his inflated costs and poor-quality products!” She huffed her indignation before turning her eyes toward the ceiling and taking a moment to calm herself. “There are things that can be done to save the estate, my lord. Many things. I have been doing what I can, but some things cannot be done because…”

“Because you are not your father,” Harry finished for her, understanding what she was alluding.

“Because I am not a man,” she clarified, bitterness blatant in her tone. “No matter my aptitude for numbers, my knowledge, my skills, I have neither the sway nor the necessary appendage deemed integral to conducting business.”

Harry disguised a bark of surprised laughter with a cough. God bless Mina and her straightforward speech; of all the things he’d missed about her, that had been near the top of his list.

“I never said I doubted your capabilities—England would be in a better position if you were to run the books—but this is not something that can take time to be resolved. Given years…I do not doubt that you are someone who could set matters to rights…”

“But?” she pressed.

A wry smile tugged at the corner of Harry’s mouth. She’d always been able to read him so well. He pulled from the inner pocket of his coat the letter that had set him on the path back to Ravenshire Manor after all these years. He held it out to Mina and waited for her to accept his offering. She eyed the broken red wax seal for a moment before taking it. Her eyes flew across the page and widened at precisely the point he knew they would.

“Is this⁠—”

“A letter of intent to collect upon a debt, yes.”

“For twelve thousand pounds?” Her mouth fell wide in disbelief as she flipped to the next page, which Harry knew detailed the alarmingly long list of debts. Unpaid contracts, bills, bank loans in various sums, and even a merchant loan all added up to the staggering amount. Spanning more than a decade, what at one time might have been manageable debts had accrued interest and exploded into something virtually insurmountable.

“Since it is clear you have stuck your capable fingers into every crevice of the estate, you and I both know the earldom’s income is somewhere in the vicinity of eleven thousand pounds.”

“That is no small sum,” Mina sniffed.

He shot her a droll look. “The point is that I would be unable to meet that debt even if I could afford to empty my accounts to that degree to meet the deadline. My other responsibilities would suffer for it.” He paused, hesitating to continue, but knowing he must. “There are other properties, other businesses, other estates requiring funds and attention. It may be time to consider that relinquishing the Ravenshire Manor and its property in payment of the debts could be the simplest solution. Too much has been broken.”

Mina was already shaking her head before he’d finished speaking. “No.” She flipped back to the first page again. “No.”

“Two months, Mina!” It was the first time Harry raised his voice. He wasn’t yelling, simply speaking firmly enough that she was forced to meet his eyes. “Did you see that? Marquess Townsend has purchased all the debts and owns them. He has called them in. Unless the sum can be paid by the deadline, the estate will be forfeited into his ownership as payment.”

“You and I both know the house and land are worth ten times the amount of the debt!”

“It matters not. The debts are secured against the estate.”

“I need to think,” Mina stammered and pressed her fingers to her temples. “I knew there were debts, but I was unaware they had been bought by a single man.”